Happy Birthday
by ElliotJA
Summary: Odin drops in on Hela imprisoned in Nifflheim on her birthday. It isn't exactly a joyous occasion.


Once a year he visits her. On the birthday of his daughter, Hela, Odin of Asgard enters the realm of Nifflheim to see his firstborn who he locked away here. Despite the things she has done, his love for her won't leave him. A father once, a father always.

As if often the case, when Odin finds her, Hela is sitting on a rock gazing out into the perpetually gloomy wastes. She does not turn her head to look at him as he approaches, but he knows she detects him, and he says in a voice barely more than a whisper "Hela Odinsdottir...happy birthday."

Though Hela still has her back to him, he senses her smiling slightly as she responds "Are things going well in the golden realm, father dearest? How about the other eight realms? Oh, and I keep meaning to ask, have you gotten round to selecting any new Valkyries yet?" Now she looks at him. "I had such a nice time slaughtering the last lot when you sent them against me."

There is rage in Odin's eyes as he steps toward his offspring, his arm outstretched and his fingers poised to grasp her throat, before he stops himself. "There will be no more Valkyries...and never again will another life perish at your hands, Hela, as long as I breathe. I only hope you will one day truly take comfort in these small visits."

"I know, father," Hela sighs, her face away from him again. "You can't bear for me to be totally alone..."

OOOOOOOO

Another birthday, another visit. Hela smirks when she sees her father's face. "You're missing an eye," she says. "Has the king of the Nine Realms been warring? Shame on you, after so fervently advocating peace and harmony."

"The Jotuns invaded the other realms," Odin explains. "We had no choice but to fight them. We drove them back to their world, and negotiated a peaceful settlement. The killing is over."

"That's a pity," Hela sneers. "I assume my baby brother, the one you told me about last time, is doing well, otherwise you'd be in a worse mood."

"Thor is healthy," Odin tells her, "and..." He pauses briefly, glancing downward with his one good eye. "Hela...when I was in Jotunheim, I found an infant boy. He had been abandoned, cast out by his family to die." He looks up at Hela, and he needs no more words to tell her his message.

"You took a frost giant into your home," she gasps. "Into _our _home! How could you do this, accept one of those monsters!"

"_**Asgard is not your home anymore!**_" Odin's voice is a roar. "The days you knew are done! I only regret not showing you better ways in your youth, then you may still be at my side, instead of here yearning for power and wallowing in self pity, witch! You talk of monsters, _**yet I stand before one now!**_" Odin stops and turns away, ashamed of his words.

Hela's voice is like a sword. "Go back to your shining halls. Go back to your adoring people. Go back to your family."

And go back Odin does. Birthdays come and go, but he does not. Sometimes, despite herself, Hela misses him and weeps bitterly, howling her pain to the uncaring sky. Then she chastises herself for being so weak, and her sadness gives way to anger and resentment. She screams her fury and pounds at rocks with her bare hands, hating the one who put her here. As century after century passes by...

She awakens suddenly one day, knowing that something is different, something is happening. She laughs when she realises what it is: At last, after thousands of years...her father is about to die, and she will be home. On her feet now, Hela reaches out and feels the barriers imprisoning her cracking, melting, breaking down. Odin's power grows fainter, fainter still, near totally gone now, and she pushes harder and harder, remembering with another laugh that today is her birthday. Finally, reality tears wide open and she steps through the gap, the stone and dirt below her feet giving way to soft grass. Ahead of her now stand two men, one of whom carries Mjolnir, once her weapon, in his hand. Odin is nowhere to be seen. And for the first time in eons, Hela addresses someone other than her father:

"So he's gone. A shame, I would've liked to have seen that."


End file.
